Nude Of A Black Woman Reading – Drawing Signed And Dated 1939

A beautiful drawing depicting a nude Black woman, seated in profile, holding an open book in her hands.

The model, with her generous curves, is captured in a natural and intimate pose. With her legs crossed, her torso slightly tilted, and her face turned to the right, she appears absorbed in her reading.

The work stands out for the softness of its modeling and the particularly delicate rendering of the skin tones, rendered in subtle shades of brown, black, and gray. The drawing reveals a fine mastery of light and shadow, giving the body a presence that is both sculptural and sensitive.

The contrast between the blended rendering of the forms and the more spontaneous lines outlining the book lends the composition a remarkable modernity.

This depiction of a Black woman reading offers a unique subject within the figurative art of the interwar period. Far from a conventional academic pose, the artist favors a calm and personal scene, imbued with naturalness.

Signed in red in the lower left corner and dated 1939. “R. GEN,”

Presented in an elegant gilded frame with a gray mat and gilded inner border.

• Title: Black Woman Nude Reading

• Artist: René GEN

• Date: 1939

• Technique: Drawing on paper, likely charcoal and pastel

• Subject: Female nude, Black woman reading

• Signature: Lower left, in red, dated 1939

• Dimensions of the drawing: H. 62 × W. 49 cm approx.

• Dimensions with frame: H. 84 × W. 70 cm

• Framing: Gold frame, gray mat

Shipping: Careful shipping within France and internationally, based on a quote.